The Dominican Senate has given first-reading approval to a bill establishing a National Council of the Judiciary. The legislation aims to amend two specific articles of the law to accommodate the selection process for the Attorney General and Deputy Attorneys General by the National Council of the Magistracy, as ordered in the 2024 Constitution.
The amendments are necessary for the Presidency to convene the National Council of the Magistracy to choose the Attorney General of the nation for the 2024-2028 term.
The bill, introduced by Senate president Ricardo de los Santos (PRM) and senator Omar Fernández (Fuerza del Pueblo) proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 3. Article 2, which pertains to the composition of the Council, now suggests that the body be comprised of the President of the Republic who will serve as chair, and the Vice President of the Republic who will preside in the President’s absence.
Additional members will include the president of the Senate, a Senator chosen by the Senate from a party or bloc different from the President’s, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, a deputy chosen by the Chamber of Deputies from a party or bloc different from the President’s, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, and a Supreme Court Justice chosen by the Court’s plenary session to serve as secretary.
The President of the Justice and Human Rights Committee, Antonio Taveras Guzmán, presented a favorable report to the plenary session and requested that the bill be included on the agenda, declared urgent, and approved in two consecutive readings due to the urgency of its passage following the 2024 constitutional reform. The request was approved with 28 votes.
The proposed amendments to Article 3 outline the future functions of the National Council of the Judiciary, including the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court Constitutional Court and Superior Electoral Court and their alternates. The Council will also be responsible for appointing the Attorney General and half of the deputy attorney generals upon the President’s nomination. Additionally, the Council will evaluate the performance of Supreme Court justices.
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N Digital
14 November 2024